Lifting mechanism



R H WISE LIFTING MECHANISM Filed Oct' 2' 1957 EA LPH WISE BYEZ #-MMLQ ATTORWEY5 v of the standard equipment.

United States LIFTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 2, 1957, Ser. No. 687,676V

9 Claims. (Cl. 254-101) This invention relates to lifting mechanisms and more particularly to lifting jacks for use with automobiles, trucks land other vehicles.

Every motor vehicle on the road today has at least one lifting jack among the tools carried in the vehicle as part The lifting jacks used vary in kind and construction completely across a very wide range. The hand-operated ratchet type, the hand-operated hydraulic type, and the hand-operated screw type form the more common types, although there are others of the less widely used variety. None of the types in use 1n vehicles today are automatic or motor operated so that it is necessary to use considerable energy and effort to position the lifting jack and raise the vehicle for effecting the necessary repairs.

It is, therefore` a principal object of this invention to overcomethe above-noted disadvantages of the prior art and to provide an improved lifting device that is motordriven from the battery of the vehicle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide anV improved lifting device that is easily guided with one hand into operative position relative to the bumper of a vehicle. It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved lifting device that is operative under the control of the hand guiding the device.

It is another object of this invention to provide an im- -proved lifting device that is highly efficient in use, light in weight and compact in size.

And still another object of this invention is to provide an improved lifting device that is relatively economical to manufacture and repair. is simple to operate and store, and is of rugged and durable construction.

The above, together with other objects and advantages which will be readily apparent from the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description, or which will be hereinafter pointed out, may be attained by constructing the device in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view partially in section of my improved lifting device;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawings wherein similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several atent O views, numeral 10 designates generally a lifting mechanism including a base plate 11, a housing 12, and a threaded shaft 13 upon which is supported a vertically movable hook member 14. The hook member 14 is adapted to engage under the bumper portion 15 or the like of a vehicle that is to be raised.

The hook member 14 is movable alo-ng the axis of the shaft 13 by the coaction of the motion-transmitting mechanism 17 and the power-actuating device indicated generally at 18. The actuating mechanism includes a reversible electric motor or the like 20 which is fastened in a horizontal position on the housing-12 and has a rotatable 2,981,518 Patented Apr. 25, 1961 ICC output shaft 21 supporting a worm gear 22 thereon. The helical teeth of the worm gear 22 mesh with a worm wheel 23 supported by the threaded driving shaft 13 which forms the input shaft of the power-transmitting mechanism 17. It will be noted that the shaft 21 and the shaft 13 are journaled at right angles to each other in the metallic housing l2` preferably die-cast, and open at one end, as at 25, the open end of the housing 25 being closed by a cap 26 having depending laterally spaced ears 27 which are provided with laterally aligned apertures 28 for receiving a pivot pin 29- passing through the spaced shoulders 30 on the base plate 11 for pivotally supporting the housing 12 and shaft 13 about an axis substantially parallel to the face of the baserll. The bottom of the base 11 is encased in nonconducting type material31, such as rubber or the like. to prevent grounding of the electrical connections through the base.

The lower end of the shaft 13 is journaled in a plain bearing 33 which is positioned in an open-ended cup 34 integral -with the housing cap 26. The worm wheel 23 is xedly mounted upon a reduced portion of the shaft 13 within the housing 12. The end of the shaft 13 remote from the end journaled in the bearing 33 projects axially beyond the confines of the housing 12. Adjacent the worm wheel 23, and on that side of the shaft 13 which projects freely Vbeyond the housing 12, the shaft is provided with a pair of adjacent, identical peripheral bearing grooves 35 which are generally concave and of identical contour. The grooves 35 are radially aligned with a pair of axially spaced outer bearing races 36 and 37. These bearing races 36 and 37 are annular in contour and are provided with annular, inner axially spaced, generally radial shoulders 38 and 39, respectively. These bearing raceways are inserted into the housing 12 through the adjacent open end of the housing, and the axially inner bearing race 36 abuts an annular, radially inwardly directed abutment shoulder 40 formed integrally with the housing. After insertion of the raceways 36 and 37, a bearing cap 41 is threaded in the open end of the housing 12 to retain the bearing races 36, 37 in assembled relation with the race 36 bottomed against the annular shoulder 40.

Interposed between the bearing races 36 and 37 and the race grooves 35 of the shaft 13 are a plurality, preferably four, of bearing elements 42. The bearing elements 42 are generally cylindrical in shape and are provided with radially enlarged, generally toroidal bearing surface portions 43 and 44, respectively. The bearing portions 43 and 44 are axially spaced by reduced diameter portion 45 to such an extent that the bearing portion 43 snugly abuts the annular shoulder 38 of the race 36, while the bearing portion 44 snugly abuts the annular shoulder 39 of the bearing race 37. It will be noted that the reduced portion 45 bridges both the line of contact between the two bearing races and that shaft portion joining the two grooves 35.

The bearing elements 42 are provided with terminal, axially aligned trunnions 46, such that the bearing elements 42 nest in cut-out portions 48 formed in a carrier or bearing retainer 50. The carrier 50 surrounds an axial portion of the shaft 13 on either side of the grooves 35. Thus, the projecting end of the shaft 13 is supported within the housing 12 by the antifriction radial and axial thrust bearing elements 42 which are interposed between the bearing races 36, 37 and the race grooves 35 of the shaft itself. The toroidal portions 43 and 44 of the bearing elements 42 support the shaft against both axial thrust and radial thrust loads in much the same manner as the bearing described and claimed in detail in the copending application of John W. Anderson, Serial No. 512,464, led June l. 1955. now Patent No. 2,914,366.

That portion of the shaft 13 which projects beyond the housing 12 is provided with an exterior peripheral helical thread 51 of appreciable axial lead. lA tubular member S2 is axially movable relative to the shaft 51 in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described. Axial movement of the tubular member 52 toward the housing 12 is limited by a radially. disposed stop .54,

aflixed to the shaft 13 by a set screw 55. The outer free end portion of the shaft 13 is reduced in diameter to receive a snap ring 56 which abuts one side of a bumper block 57. The other side of the block 57kis recessed to receive a washer 58 and a screw member 59 threaded into the end of the shaft 13 to retain the block in position. A plate 60 snaps into the recess in the block 57 to cover the end of the block. The block is madeof nylon, rubber or the like so as to prevent scratching of the vehicle from contact with the mechanism.

The tubular member 52 is provided with a pair of equally axially spaced interior recesses 61 and 62, each having a pair of radially directed, interior shoulders 63, 64 and 65, 66, respectively, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

Interposed between the concentric shaft portion 13 and tubular element 52 are a plurality of rotatable motiontransmitting elements 70 each having an elongate generally cylindrical contour, but provided with a plurality of radially enlarged preferably toroidal thrust-transmitting surfaces 71, 72 and 73. The surfaces 72 and 73 are relatively closely spaced with the single toroidal surface 71 axially spaced therefrom and adjacent the end of the element 70 remote from the surfaces 72 and 73. The element 70 terminates in reduced end portions or pintles 74 and 75 having arcuate convex extremities.

The surfaces 71 and 73 are spaced so that the toroidal surfaces thereof snugly t within the groove 61 for the lower set of bearings illustrated in Figure l or in groove 62 for the upper set of bearings of Figure 1. `The shoulders 63 and 64 tightly receive the surfaces 71 and 73 thereagainst in axial and radial thrust relation, while the surface 72 of the intermediate toroidal surface er1- gages the thread 51 and the wall of the groove 61 between the surfaces 71 and 73 to provide additional radial thrust support for the bearings. A similar set of conditions exists in the upper set of bearings 70 and groove 62, namely, surfaces 71 and 73 engage shoulders 65 and 66 of groove 62 with surface 72 engaging between the thread and the wall of the groove 62 to provide axial and radial thrust support.

It will be noted that the bearing elements 70 are rotatable about their longitudinal axes. These elements 70 must be retained in position so that the axes of the elements are parallel to the axis of rotation of the thread 51 and the axis of rotation of the tubular member 52.

A carrier 80, generally tubular in conguration, is of a radial dimension intermediate that of the tubular member 52 and the threaded shaft 13, so as to be interposed therebetween. Carrier 80 is provided with a plurality of peripherally spaced apertures 81 which are of generally rectangular shape and substantially equally spaced apart about the periphery of the carrier. The distance between the long walls of the apertures 81 are of a peripheral dimension suflicient to provide appreciable clearance for the radially enlarged toroidal portion of the elements 70 while the axial length of the apertures 81 substantially abut the ends of theV pintles 74 and 75 of the elements 70.

It is to be understood that individual apertures 81 are provided for the rotatable elements 70 so that the apertures prevent substantial individual axial movement of the elements 70 and retain the elements 70 against such movement which would tend to misalign the elements with the thread 51 and with the tubular member 52, while at the same time accommodating the free rotation of the elements 70 about their longitudinal axes.

The tubular member 52 has a groove 83 cut in the outer peripheral face of the member near the lower axial extent of the member in which is seated a cylindrical element 84. The hook member 14 is carried by the element 84 and has a guide 85 extending upwardly along the outer edge of the tubular member 52. An inverted U-shaped insulating pad 87 is fastened to the face of the hook member 14 by screws 88 so as to insulate the lifting mechanism 10 from the bumper 1S of the vehicle. A handle 90 is likewise attached to the cylindrical element 84 diametrically opposite to the hook member 14. The cylindrical element 84, hook member 14 and handle 90 are made in two matching halves, as shown in Figure 2, which are assembled together (with the element 84 nested in the groove 83 in the member 52) by the use of the fastening means 91.

Carried on the handle 90 is a two-way switch 93 which is connected by lead 94 to the motor 18 and source of electrical power (not shown). In one position of the switch 93 the motor will be driven in a clockwise direction for moving the hook member 14 in one direction. With the switch 93 in the opposite position the motor will be driven in a counterclockwise direction for moving the hook member 14 in a direction opposite to the immediately above-described direction. A

In operation, the electric lead 94 has a plug on the end which is inserted in the cigar lighter opening on the dash of the vehicle. The base 11 of the lifting mechanism is placed on substantially level ground with the hook member 14 aligned under the bumper 15 of the vehicle. Upon grasping the handle 90 to guide the hook 14 into proper alignment with the bumper the switch 93 is moved to operative position for raising the hook 14 until it engages with the bumper. Further movement upwardly of the hook will raise the vehicle relative to the ground.

The motion-transmitting mechanism is operative as `follows, namely, rotation of the motor 18 will rotate the shaft 13 through the worm gear and wheel 21, 23. Rotation of the shaft 13 will rotate the bearings 70 about their axis which will cause the tubular member 52 to be moved along the axis of the shaft. The carrier rotates about the axis of the tubular member 52 at a speed somewhat less than the speed of rotation of the screw 13.

Since the hook member 14 4and base 11 are insulated from the vehicle bumper 15 and the ground, respectively, by the insulation 87 and 31, no shorting out or grounding of the electric motor 18 will be effected through the lifting mechanism. An operator can conveniently operate the lifting mechanism bygraspiug the handle for guiding the hook 14 whereupon flipping the switch 93 in the appropriate direction will cause the motiontransmitting mechanism to raise or lower the hook 14 and vehicle 15 relative to the ground. The lifting jack or device is relatively light in weight so that it is easily and quickly placed in position for use or for storage.

Having thus described my invention, itis obvious that various other modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

I claim:

1*..A lifting jack comprising a base, a housing pivotaliy mounted about a horizontal axis on said base, a vertically extending threaded shaft journaled in said housing, bearing means surrounding a portion of said shaft in said housing for supporting said shaft against radial and axial thrust loads, reversible electric drive means mounted directly on said housing for rotatably driving said shaft in opposite directions, nut means operatively engaging with the threads of said shaft for movement along said shaft, hook means carried by said nut means and adapted to engage with the bumper of a vehicle, handle means carried by said nut means for guiding said hook means into proper position relative to the bumper, and switch means on said handle` means for reversely operating the driving means for moving the operative means and hook means along the axis of the shaft to raise and lower said vehicle.

2. A lifting jack comprising a base, a housing pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis on said base, a vertically extending threaded shaft journaled in said housing, bearing means in said housing supporting said shaft against radial and axial thrust loads, a reversible drive device connected to rotatably drive said shaft in either direction, nut means engaging with the threads of said shaft for movement therealong, hook means mounted upon and projecting from one side of said nut means and adapted to engage with the under edge of a bumper of a vehicle, a handle rigid with said hook means and extending from the opposite side of said shaft -for handling of the jack structure and manipulation of said hook means under said bumper, and fingeroperable control means for said drive mounted on said handle.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said handle extends outwardly and downwardly from the nut means and is of the general configuration of a pistol grip, and said control means is mounted at the outside point of juncture of the outwardly and downwardly extending portions for ready triggering of the control by the thumb.

4. A lifting jack for motor vehicles comprising a base,

a housing pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis on said base, a vertically extending threaded shaft journaled in said housing, bearing means in said housing supporting said shaft against radial and axial thrust loads, a reversible electric motor mounted on said housing and connected through reduction gearing to drive said shaft in either direction, antifriction nut means of the freewheeling type operatively engaging with the threads of said'shaft for movement therealong, stop means fixed at either end of said shaft for limiting travel of said nut means, hook means mounted upon and projecting `from one side of said nut means and adapted to engage under a bumper of a vehicle, a handle rigid with said hook means and extending diametrically from the opposite side of said nut means for manipulating the hook means into position under said bumper, and llinger-operable switch means on said handle for controlling said motor.

5. A lifting jack for motor vehicles comprising a base, a housing pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis on said base, a vertically extending threaded shaft journaled in said housing, bearing means in said housing supporting said shaft against radial and axial thrust loads, a reversible drive device connected to rotate said shaft in either direction, nut means engaging with the threads of said shaftfor movement therealong, hook means mounted on said nut means yfor engagement under a bumper of a vehicle and manipulation means for simultaneously controlling said drive device and positioning the hook means under said bumper, said two last-named means comprising two mating metal sections, one end of each section being in the shape of a hook and the opposite end of each section dening half a handle portion, the intermediate portion of each section being generally shaped to conform with said nut means, the sections being connected together with said intermediate portions in engagement with said nut means, and nger-operable control means for said drive device mounted on said manipulating means.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said nut means is formed with a circumferential groove dening shoulder portions, and the intermediate portions of said sectionsA are nested in said shoulders.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the bottom of said base and the bumper contact surface of said hook are covered with materials nonconductive of electricity.

8. A lifting jack comprising a base, a tubular housing including a detachable cap on one end thereof, said cap having a central-cupped bearing portion and external ears integral with said cap on opposite sides of said cup, said ears being pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis on said base, a vertically extending threaded shaft journaled in the cupped portion of said cap, bearing means in said -housing supporting said shaft against radial and axial thrust loads, a reversible drive device connected to drive said shaft in either direction, nut means on said sha-ft for movement therealong, hook means mounted upon and projecting from one side of said nut means and adapted to engage under a bumper of a vehicle, a handle rigid with' said hook means and extending from the opposite side of said shaft `for handling of said jack structure and manipulating said hook means to a position under said bumper, and finger-operable control means for said drive device mounted on said handle.

9. The apparatus as deiined in claim 4 wherein the stop on the outer end of the threaded shaft consists of a nylon block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,324,851 Roos Dec. 16, 1919 1,526,155 Kinney Feb. 10, 1925 2,107,715 Runyan et al. Feb. 8, 1938 2,251,759 Saunders Aug. 5, 1941 2,328,897 lGill Sept. 7, 1943 2,708,374 Engh May 17, 1955 2,768,532 Russell Oct. 30, 1956 2,806,383 Geyer Sept. 17, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 774,216 Great Britain May 8, 1957 779,420 Great Britain July 17, 1957 3,683 France Nov. 16, 1904 groove between said' 

